Halitosis or bad breath is a cosmetic problem that afflicts millions of people. The primary source of halitosis is bacteria of the oral cavity, and particularly those that inhabit the dorsal surface of the tongue. Certain kinds of bacteria produce volatile sulfur compounds (VSC's) that are responsible for the most common malodors associated with bad breath. In addition to taste buds, the dorsal or top surface of the tongue also includes papillae, which are microscopic finger-like projections resembling a thick carpet on the surface of the tongue.
The carpet-like structure of the tongue papillae provides a favorable harbor for bacteria to accumulate and propagate between the papillae, thereby often producing a bacterial tongue plaque, which may also include other debris such as food, tobacco by-products, and salivary residue. The presence of bacterial tongue plaque on and within the surface of the tongue facilitates the production of oral VSC's, thereby contributing to halitosis or bad breath.
Many methods have been employed to remedy the problem of halitosis. Often, the odors are simply masked, for example by using flavored breath mints or candies, mouth drops, aerosol sprays, lozenges or chewing gum. These products employ aromatic oils or compounds, such as wintergreen or peppermint, to overpower and thereby mask the malodors of halitosis, as well as food-related odors, such as garlic or onions. Alternatively, mouth washes and mouth rinses may be used. These products usually include anti-bacterial agents, such as alcohol, or a combination of chemical agents and aromatic compounds, such as oil of wintergreen. Anti-bacterial or chemical agents may kill bacteria to consequently prevent them from producing VSC's, while aromatic components simply mask any prevailing odors, and give the user a feeling of refreshment.
Another method widely used to eliminate halitosis involves cleaning the tongue. Besides using chemical agents, two basic categories of tongue cleaning devices are often used, namely tongue brushes and tongue scrapers. Tongue brushes have head and bristle designs, e.g. wide heads and/or low profile bristles, that are specifically adapted for brushing the tongue, although sometimes toothbrushes may simply be used for this purpose. Tongue scrapers are long, narrow blades of metal or plastic which are manually pulled over the dorsal surface of the tongue. Some tongue scrapers may resemble a common disposable razor, except with a plastic edge or ridge in place of the razor blade. Other scrapers are a long, narrow blade which is held by a user on both ends of the blade and then pulled or scraped over the dorsal surface of the tongue.
One of the problems often encountered with conventional scrapers or brushes is that they have difficulty cleaning the relatively inaccessible areas of the tongue surface, particularly those areas adjacent to the base of the papillae. Because of the relatively slow speeds at which these devices are operated, they generally only clean the outermost surface of the tongue papillae. The bristles or blades provide poor access into the "carpet" of the papillae to loosen debris therein, and consequently conventional devices may not effectively remove the bacterial tongue plaque located within the surface of the tongue, i.e. between or adjacent to the base of the tongue papillae, which contributes substantially to halitosis.
Accordingly, there is a need for more effective devices and methods for removing bacterial tongue plaque and/or treating halitosis.